The ninth edition of Navalia opens its doors with the promise to continue growing “in meters and in importance”

The president of the trade fair, José García Costas, toasted an upcoming event capable of exceeding 500 exhibitors and 1,000 brands represented.
The president of the fair, José García Costas, toasted an upcoming event that is capable of exceeding 500 exhibitors and 1,000 brands represented Navalia this morning opened the doors of the ninth edition with a record in all its figures in terms of meters, number of exhibitors and brands represented. The opening event included the traditional walk through the fair which, despite having reached such a large dimension, tried to show many new developments in the sector.
After the family photo at the entrance to the fairground, the delegation, led by the president of the Xunta de Galicia, Alfonso Rueda; the mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero; and the president of Navalia, José García Costas, visited more than thirty exhibiting companies to end with a toast in a reserved and enabled space in Zone H.
During his speech, the president of Navalia, José García Costas, thanked the effort, work and dedication of the executive committee of this ninth edition, as well as the support of the different public administrations that participate in the event. García Costas promised to continue working to make Navalia 2026 a larger and more important fair, capable of exceeding the current figures of 500 exhibitors and 1,000 brands represented.
From his part, the mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero, promised to continue supporting the sector through PERTE that Spanish Government is developing with Next Generation EU European funds. "We are a company, economy, employment and production... It is our DNA," highlighted the Vigo councilor, while stating that "shipbuilding is the heart of Vigo", where the industrial process began in the city. Caballero praised the work of the Navalia board for continuing with this fair since it started in 2006, and invited them to continue showing the rest of the world that Vigo has a great industry.
Finally, the president of Xunta de Galicia, Alfonso Rueda, highlighted the potential of the Galician shipbuilding sector and the future opportunities in one of the strategic areas of the Galician economy. Thus, the President highlighted that Galicia has all the possibilities and tools to consolidate itself as an international benchmark in this sector, while at the same time it must “take advantage of the opportunities” offered by new market niches, such as offshore wind. “We have experience and an “exceptional” level in shipbuilding, while highlighting the importance of our sea, “a sea that explains our past, present and future history.” Rueda highlighted that the naval sector "is a showcase of Galicia" that needs to be "taken care of" and continued to be promoted so that it continues to be an important part of "the Galicia of the future."